Stories from 15 December 2011
Poland: Change to Drug Law, Change in Policy?
On December 9, an important change was introduced to Poland's drug policy: an amendment to the law on illegal drug possession came into force, which would allow prosecutors to abandon initiation of the criminal procedure against those in possesion of drugs. Anna Gotowska reports.
Haiti: Housing Still a Problem
“While over one million refugees suffered under tents following the January 12, 2010, earthquake, 128 newly constructed homes, finished in May, 2010, sat empty for 15 months,” reports Haiti Grassroots...
Trinidad & Tobago, Belize: Gay Rights
Globewriter notes that some of the more homophobic nations are getting “their knickers in a twist” over the Obama administration's statement at the UN “that it is standing up for...
Cuba: In Defense of Human Rights
Pedazos de La Isla highlights the testimony of one of the Ladies in White who relates her experience as a victim of the “vigilance operations, brutal beatings, arbitrary arrests, deportations,...
Barbados: Courts Send Message that Women are Nothing
“Men again learned that no matter how badly you beat women, they can always be pressured to drop the charges. Police learned that it is useless to treat an assault...
Trinidad & Tobago: Dangerous Ad
Bloggers from Trinidad and Tobago voice their outrage at a newspaper ad that claims to educate people about homosexuality, calling it “a vile advertisement that can only be described as...
Guyana: Rape Allegations against Police Chief
Save Guyana reports on rape allegations being brought against the police commissioner, explaining: “The Alliance For Change…has called for [his] dismissal or at least interdiction from duty…and is viewing the...
St. Kitts & Nevis: Making Financial Progress
Abeng News Magazine has an update on the St. Kitts debt default, here.
Brazil: “A new era of political activism?”
Global Voices author from Brazil, Raphael Tsavkko writes about A new era of political activism for the ESPAS Conference on ‘Global Trends 2030′, organized by the EU Institute for Security...
Honduras: Journalists and Police Clash During Protest
As we reported earlier, Honduran journalists protested against violence in front of the presidential palace this week. Bloggings by boz adds that “protesters ended up clashing with police and military...
Uruguayan Cinema
Alvaro Fagalde blogs [es] about Uruguayan cinema. He says “Whisky” is without a doubt the best Uruguayan film, but criticizes that some believe all films have to follow that style....
Rwanda: Tweeps Debate as President Kagame Eyes Third Term
As debate on whether Rwanda's constitution should be amended to allow for a third term rages on, Rwandan President Paul Kagame says that citizens are free to say that they want him. British journalist Ian Birell responded on Twitter saying, "They're not free, of course, to say he should go…"
Brazil: Monitoring Human Rights During the World Cup and the Olympics
The People's Gateway for the World Cup and the Olympics [pt] has been launched to monitor forced evictions, government misconducts and violations of human rights due to the major urban...
Brazil: Blogger Found Dead, Hanged: Suicide or Assassination?
Brazilian blogger Altamiro Borges announces [pt] on his blog, the death of blogger Hamilton Alexander, the “Mosquito”, found dead, hanged, at his home. He adds that friends and family are...
Iran: Jailed blogger on hunger strike
Hossein Ronaghi Maleki, jailed blogger, is on hunger strike [fa] over his jail's conditions. Hossein is serving a 15 year prison sentence in the security ward of Evin Prison.
Video: Middle East Responds to Media via Webcam
Talk Back TV Middle East provides a way for people from in the Middle East and North Africa can talk back and give their take on state controlled television and mass media using only a webcam and computer.